What To Do If Your Website Has Been Hacked?
Even if you are really up on security for your website it is possible that your site could be hacked, if the server your site is on has been compromised. So, the first thing you do is panic but then what are the next steps?
The first thing I recommend doing is contacting your web host to see if they will assist with the issue. Some hosts will restore your site from a backup, others will help for a fee, and others will say “it’s your problem, not ours.
I do know, however, from personal experience that Hostgator will assist you, which is one of the reasons that I recommend them as a web host and use them for some of my sites. If your host fixes your site for you, change all of your passwords afterwards. If you don’t and the hacker has login access, the hack will immediately return.
If you host won’t help, you can hire someone to assist you. I’ve fixed a number of hacked sites but have started to refer people to Sucuri. This isn’t because I can’t or don’t want to do it but Sucuri can take care of the problem faster and you get a lot for your money.
Sucuri will fix your hacked site within 4 hours during regular business hours. In my experience, it is frequently fixed within that time frame even during non business hours. And during business hours, it is usually fixed in much less time.
Sucuri, in addition to fixing your hacked site, will fix it again and again over the course of the year. Hopefully, it won’t happen more than once (or at all) but they will be there for you if you need them all for the same annual fee of $89.99. After fixing the site they will notify you that it has been corrected, send a list of items you should do to keep the site secure, and will notify google, which is important if your site has been blocked as spreading malware.
Additionally, they will monitor your site for any changes or new hacks so if something happens, it is likely they will let you know before you even realize there is a problem. For example, my domain name registrar changed recently. Now, in this instance, I’m the one who changed it but a little bit later I received a notice from Sucuri that that change had occurred. If it had been something more nefarious or if I hadn’t been the one who had made the change I would have found out really fast.
Sucuri also has plans for multiple sites and for developers. For example, you can get 10 sites monitored for $289.99/year. For most of us, however, the single site plan is sufficient and costs less than $2/week. I think it’s well worth it to have peace of mind for your online business.
Note: I am an affilate of Hostgator and Sucuri. And I’m only an affiliate because they are products that I use and am super happy with.
photo credit: dantaylor
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September 15, 2011 at 2:17 am
Hi Kim,
With days big problem with hackers is $ 2 a week cheap, because when your computer is hacked, you are willing to pay any amount to get your website back. I strongly recommend everyone to have Sucuri.
September 16, 2011 at 12:17 pm
Hi Marbella – I think it’s a great deal for how quickly the fix the problem and their continuous monitoring.
September 15, 2011 at 6:56 am
It’s the responsibility of your web host to help you when your site gets hacked. But if your site makes you or your business money, then it’s probably worth the expense to just get Sucuri so you can have peace of mind.
September 16, 2011 at 12:18 pm
Hi Darren – Not all web hosts would agree that it is their responsibility to fix the problem …
September 15, 2011 at 8:39 am
Best $90 I’ve ever spent. Thanks for the recommendation and all your continued help with my site, Kim!
Betsy Wuebker´s last post ..Making Money Online: Be the Tortoise, Not the Hare
September 16, 2011 at 12:19 pm
Thanks Betsy! I am really pleased with the service too.
September 15, 2011 at 9:27 am
Hi Kim! Well seeing that I email you frequently about this type of stuff I better sign up with Sucuri! Thanks!
September 16, 2011 at 12:23 pm
Hi Sommer – Great! You should be pleased with their service. Hopefully you won’t need them to do a clean-up for you but it’s good to know they are watching out for you.
September 15, 2011 at 10:39 am
If Kim says you need this, you need it. Signed up for Sucuri!
September 16, 2011 at 12:23 pm
Thanks! :-)
September 15, 2011 at 12:29 pm
Thanks! Useful. Saved.
September 16, 2011 at 12:24 pm
Great!
September 15, 2011 at 1:38 pm
Kim, as you know, both of my sites were hacked last month. It couldn’t have happened at a worse time, my laptop was also in trouble and my tech support and I were just about to reformat it when the sites went down. You were on vacation in Vermont with very little Internet access but you still managed to coach me. And Hostgator did come through for me on my main blog. My other host did not offer the service so I was not sure how I was fixing it. Knowing about your resource options in advance is a good idea. I may have to check out Sucuri just in case.
Thanks for always being there for me!
Julie Walraven´s last post ..How to prepare for your next job search
September 16, 2011 at 12:30 pm
Hi Julie – Strange things seem to happen every August when I go away – it’s a little frustrating. Or maybe it just seems that way because I’m not able to really help. I’m glad things finally got sorted out for you.
September 15, 2011 at 7:46 pm
Thanks for recommending Sucuri. Sounds like they really care and go the extra mile to ensure the well being of your server. A few of my sites did get attacked recently but thankfully, it was a minor attack and they stopped after a few unsuccessful attempts.
September 16, 2011 at 12:26 pm
Hi Rick – It’s a great service. I really didn’t know what to expect when I first signed up but they have been beyond awesome.
September 23, 2011 at 7:18 am
I paid sucuri to fix my hacked site and now the images dont show up. Lets see if they can repair this problem, otherwise I give up on this blogging business. Too much time spent on repairing things.
September 24, 2011 at 1:38 pm
Hi Marlene – They should be able to take care of the issues with the images or at least provide some instructions.
September 23, 2011 at 7:32 am
I recently experienced a hacker attack on some of the sites that I run. That was definitely the most panicked I have been in quite a while. My hosts are not responsible for security of my sites so that made me worry even more. Looks like I will definitely be looking forward to using the services of someone like Sucuri after that experience.
-Jean
Jean´s last post ..The right way to measure your used tires air pressure
September 25, 2011 at 6:54 pm
Hello Kim,
My own site (blog) which is hosted with Hostclear was hacked about seven or eight months ago, and rendered effectively useless: It was compromised somehow with a redirection hack to some Turkish-language based video review site. I asked my webhost to fix it, but they were no help. I had to recreate the whole site all over again from scratch to put things right.
I recently bought a copy of Backup Creator from a developer called Rober Plant (via the Warrior Forum) very cheap indeed, which provides a perfect safeguard against any more of my WordPress sites ever being hacked or compromised in the future!
September 25, 2011 at 11:00 pm
Kim, nice post. However I have a question. When a website is hacked it can be made only by backups. Even some host provide opportunity to take daily backups for large sites.
My question is what if your domain is hacked? Say if someone breached into your domain registering account and modified the owner. Now what to do? Can you please help?
September 27, 2011 at 10:18 am
Hi Sam,
I don’t know what would happen in that instance. It would take a considerable amount of work to prove that you were the actual owner of the domain. Fortunately, this isn’t something that I’ve ever had to do.
September 27, 2011 at 8:10 pm
That’s right Kim. May be working directly with the registrar should help. As you said unfortunately it’s gonna take hell a lot of time and effort.
March 26, 2012 at 7:27 pm
My evil 11 year old niece hacked my facebook account and I don’t know how to remove all the junk she put on it. Are there services that do this for you? I have changed the password and have it secure now but need to fix the account. Any advice is appreciated-I live in Georgia.
October 18, 2012 at 10:21 pm
I have to admit, my site is not that secured. But I will be making real changes soon.